Beyond cultural performances and festive food, Kaamatan is also known for its traditional games and community activities that continue to bring people together throughout the harvest festival season in Sabah.
Held mainly at KDCA in Penampang throughout May, these activities range from strength competitions and precision games to bamboo dances and community challenges. Some are rooted in traditional village pastimes, while others have evolved into major crowd attractions during Kaamatan today.
For visitors, they offer a more active and immersive side of the festival, where culture is not only observed, but participated in.
Traditional Strength & Competitive Games
Migayat Lukug (Traditional Tug-of-War)
Migayat Lukug is a spirited traditional tug-of-war competition built around teamwork, strength, and endurance. Teams compete fiercely against one another, often drawing loud cheers from surrounding crowds.
The combination of teamwork, shouting spectators, and intense pulling contests creates one of the liveliest atmospheres during Kaamatan.
Mipulos (Traditional Arm Wrestling)
Mipulos is Sabah’s traditional form of arm wrestling, where competitors test their upper-body strength in one-on-one matches.
Despite its simplicity, Mipulos often attracts tightly packed crowds, with each round drawing loud reactions from spectators gathered closely around contestants.
Orang Kuat Sabah (Sabah Strongest Man)
Alongside traditional indigenous games, modern crowd-favourite events such as Orang Kuat Sabah have also become a major attraction during the Kaamatan season.
Competitors take part in demanding feats of strength, including truck pulling, tyre flipping, and heavy lifting challenges, adding a more contemporary competitive element to the festival atmosphere.
Traditional Skill, Balance & Precision Activities
Menyumpit (Traditional Blowpipe Competition)
Menyumpit competitions showcase the traditional blowpipe, an important hunting tool historically used by indigenous communities in Borneo.
Participants attempt to hit distant targets using remarkable breath control and precision, making it one of the more uniquely Bornean activities to witness during Kaamatan.
Melastik (Slingshot Competition)
Melastik is a traditional slingshot competition where participants use clay pellets or marbles to strike small targets from a distance.
For many Sabahans, it remains a familiar childhood pastime, turning a simple game into something both competitive and nostalgic during Kaamatan.
Mangkawau (Traditional Stilt Walking)
Mangkawau, or traditional stilt walking, is one of the more visually entertaining activities during Kaamatan.
Participants race while balancing on tall bamboo stilts, often drawing laughter and cheers from surrounding crowds as they attempt to stay upright while moving at speed.
Binsulong (Traditional Puzzle Game)
Binsulong is a traditional puzzle game involving a string trapped within a double-loop rattan spiral. Players must figure out how to remove the string without cutting or damaging the structure.
Compared to the louder and more physical competitions, Binsulong offers a quieter challenge centred on patience, logic, and problem-solving.
Community Activities & Cultural Performances
Lansaran
Lansaran is a traditional Murut activity built around a trampoline-like bamboo platform that bounces as participants move rhythmically across it.
During Kaamatan, participants attempt to leap high enough to grab prizes suspended overhead while surrounding groups maintain the bouncing rhythm below, creating an energetic and playful atmosphere.
Magunatip
Magunatip is one of Sabah’s most recognisable traditional performances, combining rhythm, coordination, and agility.
Originating from the Murut community, the activity involves dancers moving quickly between large bamboo poles that are rhythmically clapped together, requiring precise timing to avoid getting caught between the moving bamboo.
Bowling Kelapa (Coconut Bowling)
Bowling Kelapa is a rustic local variation of bowling where players use coconuts instead of bowling balls to knock down wooden pins.
The unpredictable movement of uneven coconuts often turns the game into a light-hearted and entertaining activity during Kaamatan.
Where and When to Experience These Activities
Many of these traditional games and activities take place throughout May at KDCA in Penampang as part of the wider Kaamatan season, rather than only during the main 30 and 31 May celebrations.
For a full breakdown of Kaamatan dates and major events happening throughout the month, refer to our Kaamatan Dates & Events Guide.
Experience Kaamatan Beyond the Main Stage
Traditional games and activities reveal a more participatory side of Kaamatan, where culture is experienced through movement, competition, and community interaction.
To explore Kaamatan tours, cultural experiences, and travel packages happening throughout the festival season, visit the Kaamatan Travel Hub.
